2020 Telluride AWD rear end jerking thumping and vibrating

[alexdrums]

I would negotiate with the used dealer more and get another $1000 out of them and trade out of this vehicle, you will not be happy with the car knowing that vibration is there, Kia will never spend time or money to take care of this issue for you or anyone as it is not a safety threat, nor they will do a recall, probably not even a TSB. I lived through that with GM and traded out with a huuuuge loss (GM trucks do not retain any value at all). I need an AWD car and if Kia is hit and miss with vibration on these AWD models, I will be test driving it for a very long time if/when my replacement Telluride arrives at the dealer. Sad truth - there is nothing that is comparable in features/size/cabin noise to Telluride. I test drove 2021 AWD Sienna, and this a lesson on how not to build cars - the engine noise is not just annoying it is plain unacceptable but guess what Toyota dealers pre-sold all initial shipment of AWD 2021 Siennas.

Sales person went on a ride with us and wanted to do around the block only, but i said, "I am sorry, it will take a while as I need to get to 70 MPH and we need to f

and we need to f?

 

[Kwim]

If the driveshaft is off 5°, I’m wondering why everyone isn’t having this issue. I haven’t read this entire thread but have been following it for a couple of weeks.

That is a great question.

I recommend everyone to seriously check their rides out in the 60-74mph range and honestly just look for something off/vibrating...No we didn't buy a rolls royce or Bentley but the more people that check their tellies the better.

If it truly comes down to only a handful of us having this issue then I have no idea how it can be an across the board design issue.

It does, but we all drive differently.
We are all different: for example, I also appear, but the car does not shake, but there is a feeling that you are driving on unbalanced wheels. But this vibration doesn't piss me off.

 

[Kwim]

Did they put cv heads in the middle as well as the transaxle?

of course not, kia will never add additional components and assemblies, this is not legal. It will be necessary to test and recertify the car.
Imagine if an accident happens due to installed additional parts?

 

[2020Telly]

Either they have a front-wheel-drive or they aren't on the highway at those speeds much and are on bumpy roads to where they can't tell.
It has to be on all the AWS because the engine sits higher. The FWD doesn't have a drive shaft.

That is 100% accurate. FWD vehicles don’t need a long drive shaft to drive the rear wheels. A FWD has all the mechanics that it needs up front and uses smaller shafts to power the front wheels. I have a FWD and regularly travel on highways with a 70mph speed limit. I have no vibration issues. If you have vibration associated with the drivetrain as described on this thread it is only related to AWD.

Given the design of the Universal Joint it will be noisier. But Kia put quieter touring tires on the AWD perhaps to mitigate. I do not know, however, by Kia standards what is an acceptable tolerance for vibration on an AWD.

______________________________

 

[Bev]

That is 100% accurate. FWD vehicles don’t need a long drive shaft to drive the rear wheels. A FWD has all the mechanics that it needs up front and uses smaller shafts to power the front wheels. I have a FWD and regularly travel on highways with a 70mph speed limit. I have no vibration issues. If you have vibration associated with the drivetrain as described on this thread it is only related to AWD.

Given the design of the Universal Joint it will be noisier. But Kia put quieter touring tires on the AWD perhaps to mitigate. I do not know, however, by Kia standards what is an acceptable tolerance for vibration on an AWD.

I would love to see something from another independent diagnosis to compare the findings. My guy verbally told me this continued vibration is going to cause problems.
If anyone is considering a lawsuit, they will need this because Kia/Hyundai will NEVER admit to it unless they are forced to.
I am thoroughly disgusted with Kia in their denials of a problem. For two years now they have been denying this issue.
Today I am going to test drive a Toyota Highlander. If I like it and they give me a decent trade-in, I will take my loss and get this headache behind me.

 

[qwikhit]

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer but I'll chime in with my experiences with brand new platform vehicles:

2008 we purchased a used 2007 GMC Acadia. 2007 was the first year of this new vehicle for GMC. We fell in love with it immediately. I then got onto an Acadia forum and oh boy was I shocked to see some of the problems this vehicle was having. Sunroof leaks were absolutely horrible and probably the leading major issue with this vehicle up through the 2009 model year. The next major issue was the transmission and was a problem for the FWD and AWD vehicles. My transmission went out just before the factory warranty expired-I think we had 62K miles on it when it started hard shifting-. I immediately took it to the dealer and they replaced the transmission. GM knew about these issues because they had people on these car forums lurking and reading about customer complaints.

It's frustrating for owners to make multiple visits for repeated problems and not get satisfaction after 1 or 2 visits but its important to get these problems in the dealers hands because it gets back to the manufacturer. How quickly they move and respond is on them but they need to know the problems. This particular problem is an AWD only issue so the reported numbers are not going to be as high as a problem that affects both drive train models. Hopefully KIA does the right thing and respond quickly with a fix but in my experiences they don't move quick enough.

I started watching this vehicle as a purchase in 2019 but held off because of my own experiences with a first year vehicle. I hope everyone who has this vibration issue gets it resolved. Good luck to everyone

 

[JerseySXP]

It does, but we all drive differently.
We are all different: for example, I also appear, but the car does not shake, but there is a feeling that you are driving on unbalanced wheels. But this vibration doesn't piss me off.

This pretty much sums it up for me. It's super f'n annoying and If there is a fix for it then Kia needs to go through those fixes.

We have real life examples here staying that swapping out the driveshaft and coupler fixed the issue. That is where the issue is. Having CV joints instead of U joints is just best case - the issue is with the two pieces noted here already.

The cold hard facts are getting a dealer/Techline to swap them out for you...

 

[smokey_mountain]

I spent 45 mins on a highway in Highlander and 25 mins in new Sienna. When you test drive do drive to your normal highway speeds, wind noise, tire noise, door whistles, rough engine noise on acceleration, no usable 3rd row. 2021 Highlander, Siennas come with zero sound insulation to keep weight and costs down, noisy engines. We could not have a conversation in Highlander traveling at 65MPH and at 75 wind and road noise wear you out in about 15 mins. Toyotas of the past were my vehicles but modern cost/weight/CAFE cutting made them not good for someone who roadtrips with family regularly.

Around the town, Toyotas are OK just not good roadtrip vehicles.

I would love to see something from another independent diagnosis to compare the findings. My guy verbally told me this continued vibration is going to cause problems.
If anyone is considering a lawsuit, they will need this because Kia/Hyundai will NEVER admit to it unless they are forced to.
I am thoroughly disgusted with Kia in their denials of a problem. For two years now they have been denying this issue.
Today I am going to test drive a Toyota Highlander. If I like it and they give me a decent trade-in, I will take my loss and get this headache behind me.

______________________________

 

[2020Telly]

I spent 45 mins on a highway in Highlander and 25 mins in new Sienna. When you test drive do drive to your normal highway speeds, wind noise, tire noise, door whistles, rough engine noise on acceleration, no usable 3rd row. 2021 Highlander, Siennas come with zero sound insulation to keep weight and costs down, noisy engines. We could not have a conversation in Highlander traveling at 65MPH and at 75 wind and road noise wear you out in about 15 mins. Toyotas of the past were my vehicles but modern cost/weight/CAFE cutting made them not good for someone who roadtrips with family regularly.

Around the town, Toyotas are OK just not good roadtrip vehicles.

But let's not confuse road noise with excessive vibration that could lead to vehicle failure. Road noise is something every car experiences unless you are driving on a smooth road in an electric car with quiet tires and bullet proof glass, something will create noise. Tellurides have acoustic dampening windshields and AWDs have touring tires so clearly there is some attempt to lessen road noise. And it's common that AWDs and 4x4 have more road noise anyway because there are more moving parts and the faster you go the more mechanical metal parts are turning. But take for example someone with a Jeep Wrangler with fabric doors and top, those drivers don't mind the noise. Universal Joint vs. Constant Velocity Joint isn't even the issue because U-joints are known to be noisier, but they are still a valid AWD design.

Road noise cause from excessive vibration . . . the issue is not the noise at that point.

Vibration caused by bad tires or bad road conditions are also a different issue from a faulty driveshaft, but a faulty driveshaft causing excessive vibration could break while driving or wear out the tires unevenly and cause more problems. I think the issue in discussion here is vibration caused by a suspect driveshaft whether there are a few or more AWDs that were built with a faulty drive shaft or it was installed improperly. The other bigger issue for Kia is if the design is faulty to begin with and all AWDs have this excessive vibration. To properly diagnose, I think we need to separate the discussion of noise vs vibration.

 

[YAH DEF]

But let's not confuse road noise with excessive vibration that could lead to vehicle failure. Road noise is something every car experiences unless you are driving on a smooth road in an electric car with quiet tires and bullet proof glass, something will create noise. Tellurides have acoustic dampening windshields and AWDs have touring tires so clearly there is some attempt to lessen road noise. And it's common that AWDs and 4x4 have more road noise anyway because there are more moving parts and the faster you go the more mechanical metal parts are turning. But take for example someone with a Jeep Wrangler with fabric doors and top, those drivers don't mind the noise. Universal Joint vs. Constant Velocity Joint isn't even the issue because U-joints are known to be noisier, but they are still a valid AWD design.

Road noise cause from excessive vibration . . . the issue is not the noise at that point.

Vibration caused by bad tires or bad road conditions are also a different issue from a faulty driveshaft, but a faulty driveshaft causing excessive vibration could break while driving or wear out the tires unevenly and cause more problems. I think the issue in discussion here is vibration caused by a suspect driveshaft whether there are a few or more AWDs that were built with a faulty drive shaft or it was installed improperly. The other bigger issue for Kia is if the design is faulty to begin with and all AWDs have this excessive vibration. To properly diagnose, I think we need to separate the discussion of noise vs vibration.

I have an SX AWD and there is definitely not any excessive vibration. Or pretty much any vibration at all. Nothing shaking when I drive, just feedback from the road. Everything about the car is smooth, there is no movement in the steering wheel (beyond steering, obv) and yah - mainly a different topic - it's quiet.

 

[JerseySXP]

I have an SX AWD and there is definitely not any excessive vibration. Or pretty much any vibration at all. Nothing shaking when I drive, just feedback from the road. Everything about the car is smooth, there is no movement in the steering wheel (beyond steering, obv) and yah - mainly a different topic - it's quiet.

This makes me believe it's an installation issue versus design and a manufacturer sending a bad batch of driveshafts and couplers.

 

[2020Telly]

I wanted to also add to my last post that while I love my Telluride and I have had a great experience with Kia, I think @Bev and anyone else with this problem who feels like they were being reasonable and were not getting anywhere are completely justified in bailing and going with another vehicle and I wish them luck. I would do the same if I were in your shoes. Their efforts in pursuing may ultimately lead to a better Gen 2 Telluride for others, but no one spends this much money to be a test subject for engineering and worse be jerked around and told there is no problem when all they did was buy a vehicle and identify a problem. I really hope Kia makes this right so I don't have to lose faith.

______________________________

 

[alexdrums]

But let's not confuse road noise with excessive vibration that could lead to vehicle failure. Road noise is something every car experiences unless you are driving on a smooth road in an electric car with quiet tires and bullet proof glass, something will create noise. Tellurides have acoustic dampening windshields and AWDs have touring tires so clearly there is some attempt to lessen road noise. And it's common that AWDs and 4x4 have more road noise anyway because there are more moving parts and the faster you go the more mechanical metal parts are turning. But take for example someone with a Jeep Wrangler with fabric doors and top, those drivers don't mind the noise. Universal Joint vs. Constant Velocity Joint isn't even the issue because U-joints are known to be noisier, but they are still a valid AWD design.

Road noise cause from excessive vibration . . . the issue is not the noise at that point.

Vibration caused by bad tires or bad road conditions are also a different issue from a faulty driveshaft, but a faulty driveshaft causing excessive vibration could break while driving or wear out the tires unevenly and cause more problems. I think the issue in discussion here is vibration caused by a suspect driveshaft whether there are a few or more AWDs that were built with a faulty drive shaft or it was installed improperly. The other bigger issue for Kia is if the design is faulty to begin with and all AWDs have this excessive vibration. To properly diagnose, I think we need to separate the discussion of noise vs vibration.

His point is if people are thinking of switching to Toyota from Kia, there will be a road noise issue to deal with...I don’t think anyone is getting confused here. A lot of manufacturers are cheap when it comes to insulating the interiors of autos unfortunately, and insulation is usually the chief culprit for the noise.

 

[JerseySXP]

The main point here is that there is a trade-off...my SXP is whisper quiet inside but has vibration issues at highway speed.

The thought here is that every car manufacturer has their pros/cons in every segment...

The problem here is that the vibration is fixable...sound dampening a new Toyota because it was excessively loud inside would not be a warranty repair.

I sense this thread is going to have as many pages as the Order to Delivery time before we know it - IF the issue is larger than we realize on more AWDs.

 

[alexdrums]

But let's not confuse road noise with excessive vibration that could lead to vehicle failure. Road noise is something every car experiences unless you are driving on a smooth road in an electric car with quiet tires and bullet proof glass, something will create noise. Tellurides have acoustic dampening windshields and AWDs have touring tires so clearly there is some attempt to lessen road noise. And it's common that AWDs and 4x4 have more road noise anyway because there are more moving parts and the faster you go the more mechanical metal parts are turning. But take for example someone with a Jeep Wrangler with fabric doors and top, those drivers don't mind the noise. Universal Joint vs. Constant Velocity Joint isn't even the issue because U-joints are known to be noisier, but they are still a valid AWD design.

Road noise cause from excessive vibration . . . the issue is not the noise at that point.

Vibration caused by bad tires or bad road conditions are also a different issue from a faulty driveshaft, but a faulty driveshaft causing excessive vibration could break while driving or wear out the tires unevenly and cause more problems. I think the issue in discussion here is vibration caused by a suspect driveshaft whether there are a few or more AWDs that were built with a faulty drive shaft or it was installed improperly. The other bigger issue for Kia is if the design is faulty to begin with and all AWDs have this excessive vibration. To properly diagnose, I think we need to separate the discussion of noise vs vibration.

You’ve been around here long enough to know that all AWDs do not have this problem—it’s a relatively rare occurrence that unfortunately some owners have to deal with. Also, this problem predates the Telluride/Palisade, from what I’ve read.

 

[Bev]

I spent 45 mins on a highway in Highlander and 25 mins in new Sienna. When you test drive do drive to your normal highway speeds, wind noise, tire noise, door whistles, rough engine noise on acceleration, no usable 3rd row. 2021 Highlander, Siennas come with zero sound insulation to keep weight and costs down, noisy engines. We could not have a conversation in Highlander traveling at 65MPH and at 75 wind and road noise wear you out in about 15 mins. Toyotas of the past were my vehicles but modern cost/weight/CAFE cutting made them not good for someone who roadtrips with family regularly.

Around the town, Toyotas are OK just not good roadtrip vehicles.

That's pretty discouraging. I will be test-driving highway speeds with my husband who wears hearing aids. That will be the deciding factor.

______________________________

 

[2020Telly]

You’ve been around here long enough to know that all AWDs do not have this problem—it’s a relatively rare occurrence that unfortunately some owners have to deal with. Also, this problem predates the Telluride/Palisade, from what I’ve read.

I know and recognize this, but it comes down to what is reasonably acceptable and if Kia is giving people the run around and blatantly ignoring the possibility that there is an issue to fix, then there is a burden of proof that must be followed. At this point I was trying to clarify all the possible options. But I agree, this is most likely a small percentage otherwise the AWDs would not be selling and Kia would have recalled all of them by now.

 

[2020Telly]

His point is if people are thinking of switching to Toyota from Kia, there will be a road noise issue to deal with...I don’t think anyone is getting confused here. A lot of manufacturers are cheap when it comes to insulating the interiors of autos unfortunately, and insulation is usually the chief culprit for the noise.

I see that now. The post wasn't in response to another post so I wasn't following the thought process and found it out of context for the thread titled "Vibration". Thanks for clarifying.

 

[JerseySXP]

Kia Customer Service spoke to the SM...interesting that the SM never replied back to me or called me back - which goes to show you that the Dealer doesn't give a lick about the ultimate owner and will bow down to the mother ship...Would be wiser if those were 3 way phone calls wouldn't you think? Not sure how Kia can mediate in between the Dealer and the Buyer...it's 2 Kia employees versus the buyer...

They want to give it attempt 2 - I am going to flat out ask the SM to disengage the driveshaft/4WD and take a ride with me. If the vibration is gone then there you have it...

 

[smokey_mountain]

What is concerning that @JerseySXP car is avery recent build, it means they did not address the problem on this platform completely. I do believe though that 90% of the people simply do not notice this vibration or it does not bother them if this is a design defect, they feel this is how their car is or road, or something. I know I feel even slightest vibration but I know when it is road and when it is a car. Why? I love cars. What is wrong in all this is that manufacturers' are no longer measured on quality, their car needs to last the warranty period and that is it. If you have time, listen to Mary Barra's piece on Freaconomics, it is crystal clear she is not about quality, she is about cost cutting for 4th largest car maker in the world. So what do people with vibration do? 99% will trade out of their vehicles, some with losses, remaining 1% because their dealers are better will get the issue addressed through good mechanic's trial and error. Truth is Kia can't care less about this situation. It suits them fine. Manufacturers make money when they sell their cars to dealers, plain and simple. Until people stop buying Tellurides, Kia has nothing to worry about. Do not forget, this an only mass produced car that I am aware where folks are willing to wait 6 months to get the car. Kudos to Kia Product Marketing team, while Engineering does get a black eye

Kia Customer Service spoke to the SM...interesting that the SM never replied back to me or called me back - which goes to show you that the Dealer doesn't give a lick about the ultimate owner and will bow down to the mother ship...Would be wiser if those were 3 way phone calls wouldn't you think? Not sure how Kia can mediate in between the Dealer and the Buyer...it's 2 Kia employees versus the buyer...

They want to give it attempt 2 - I am going to flat out ask the SM to disengage the driveshaft/4WD and take a ride with me. If the vibration is gone then there you have it...